MATHEMATICS, COMPUTER SCIENCE AND STATISTICS

(Summary of Annual Meeting February 20 and 21, 1997)

This year there was an effort to reach out to the the universities and colleges in Mississippi in an effort to diversify the activities of this Division and to include schools and colleges which ordinarily have not participated in the activities of the MAS Mathematics Division. In part this effort has proven successful as there was increased participation from Millsaps College and Mississippi Valley State University. Organizations which continued to support MAS activities in this area include Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the University of Southern Mississippi, and the U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station at Vicksburg, however, even in these more traditional aeas, a more extensive effort to broaden support for the MAS in the mathematics sciences needs to continue.

This year there was a notable increase in the number of papers submitted in the area of computer science. This was reassuring. It is vital that every effort be made to include computer science as vital component of the activities of this Division, especially since there is increasing cross-over between computer science and the other mathematical sciences, as the technological aspects of mathematical problem solving are becoming ever more intimately interwoven with computer technologies.

While representation in several areas has improved, it is important to continue to build on this and develop greater participation from the colleges and community colleges in Mississippi, especially those serving education needs in the mathematical sciences. It is important to note that several of the papers addressed education, however, it would be beneficial to strive to increase participation in MAS activities in mathematics education. The annual meeting could and should provide a forum for improving mathematics education in Mississippi. All of this needs to be done in a manner which enhances the role of traditionally strong areas of support such as Statistics, for the Divisions activities.

On issues of lesser substance, the general feeling was that the facilities provided at this year's meeting, while not exemplary, were at least adequate. Clearly, providing for and organizing a statewide meeting with limited resources is challenging and difficult. The greatest difficulty in terms of the technical aspects of the meeting is that the meeting rooms are not designed for technical presentations. This is most apparent when the presentation technology attempts to move beyond overhead slides to computer based presentations.

Finally, special thanks are due to Carolyn R. Boyle (MSU) and Todd G. Nick (UMMC) for advise and assistance in reaching out to the diverse community in the mathematical sciences in Mississippi, to Cotten and Cynthia Huff (MAS) for technical support and to Lynn Ladner (JDCC) for invaluable logistical support and assistance.--Joseph Kolibal and Govinda Weerakkody